PRESS RELEASE

Black Day observed across 9 bus-stands in Bangalore City and nearby areas

Protest outside BMTC office in Shantinagar bus-stand

BMTC promises to fix a meeting by Aug 12th to discuss all out-standing issues

BMTC agrees to start mini-bus service to areas where regular buses cannot be used

August 5th , BMTCs bus-day was observed as Black-day today by members of Bangalore Bus Prayaanikara Vedike and a few thousand commuters across nine bus-stands today – Majestic, K.R.Market, Hebbal, Vidyaranyapura, Shantinagar, Yeshwantpur, Neelasandra, Doddaballapur and Devanahalli. Given that the Transport Minister had expressed his inability to reduce fares any further, we decided to have a signature campaign addressed to the Chief Minister, asking for reduction of fares and other demands. Signatures were collected from commuters at all bus-stands. In the space of a few hours, more than 3000 signatures were collected from angry commuters.

At Majestic when officials tried to stop our Vedike members from collecting signatures and distributing pamphlets, bus-users stopped the officials and supported the members in collecting signatures. At Yeshvantpur when officials tried to stop our Vedike members from collecting signatures and distributing pamphlets, Vedike memebrs distributed pamphlets and collected signatures outside the bus stand.

Following our earlier protest on June 28, BMTC officials had promised to set-up a meeting with members of our Vedike to discuss all our demands. However, BMTC is yet to call for a meeting nor hAs it reduced fares beyond a token reduction of 1Rs for the first stage. At 12pm, therefore members of our Vedike gathered at Shantinagar bus-stand outside the BMTC office to protest BMTCs inaction. BMTC officials then met us and handed over a written response from the BMTC M.D addressed to the Vedike, in response to our petition to the Transport Minister. The written response from BMTC while agreeing to one demand – that of providing for mini-buses to interior areas where regular buses cannot reach. However it is silent on a few demands and in fact raises several more questions –

BMTC now claims it is facing a loss of 229.76 crores whereas BMTC MD Anjum Parvez earlier said the loss was 147 crores.

BMTC claims that it has not received any complaint about sexual harassment in buses. How is it that in a city where lakhs of women face sexual harassment every single day in a BMTC bus, BMTC has no knowledge of such harassment?

BMTC claims that it has shelter, toilet and drinking water facility in all main bus stands – 10 TTMCs, 3 major bus stands and 32 minor bus stands. This is not true E.g. Kalasipalya/ KR Market, a major bus stand has none of these facilities. These facilities don’t exist or are inadequate in many bus stops used by large numbers of commuters.

There are several other unsatisfactory aspects of BMTCs response. We therefore demanded that the BMTC fix a meeting with members of the Vedike to discuss all outstanding issues. BMTC has promised to fix a meeting with the General Manager (Operations) before 12th August, 2013.

Meanwhile, the Vedike will continue its signature campaign and gather signature from users across the city and will urge the Chief Minister to reduce the BMTC bus fares. Our campaign will continue till the fares are reduced and action is initiated on our other demands.